1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to antenna mountings for vehicles and particularly to mountings for vehicle antenna on a vehicular body panel such as a fender.
2. Prior Art
In the prior art, there exists several means for mounting an antenna to motor vehicle bodies. Such antenna mountings generally fall into two categories. One category is wherein the antenna mount is inserted from the outside of the vehicle body and mounted to the vehicle body by screws from the outside. The second category is wherein the antenna mounting is inserted through a hole in the vehicle body panel from the inside and a retainer is places on the outside to hold the antenna in place permanently.
Each of these two means of mounting an antenna has its disadvantages. The first one is disadvantageous in that the utilization of screws provides a mounting which is not aesthetic and if it is required to make it aesthetic, a separate piece must be places over the screws which can come off during the assembly process of the total vehicle or will ultimately be lost by the owner of the vehicle during the life span of the vehicle. The second mounting is disadvantageous in that it requires tow workers in order to install it. One is on the outside of the vehicle body and the other is on the inside. In particular, the worker on the inside inserts the mounting through the hole and the worker on the outside then holds the antenna while installing the retainer on the outside of the body panel.
Examples of each of the above tow types of antenna mountings are contained in one or more of U.S. Pat. Nos.:
4,945,3615,583,5225,995,0536,271,7976,509,8786,747,603